Hormones and Hair Loss

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: I Need a Wig

Pregnant ladies often have a glow about them. Prenatal vitamins get credit for helping strengthen a woman's hair and nails. Unfortunately, hormones take over after baby arrives and the fabulous hair is no more.

To see why this happens,

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Many new moms lose clumps of hair almost immediately after birth. Others, like myself, may experience a period of time where the silky locks stay in place only to be surprised months later when the brush reaches maximum capacity on a daily basis.

During pregnancy, the higher levels of hormones help women retain more hair than usual – often making the hair appear thicker and fuller. Postpartum, the significant decrease in hormones causes women to shed the threads at a rapid rate.Source

Mine just starting falling out a few weeks ago. It's so weird to see it EVERYWHERE. I look down at my little guy and it's wrapped in his little fingers or up under his neck. I just started wearing all black so you couldn't see how badly I was covered with it ;-)

Yep, kikidawn, I went on one for just a few months to try to regulate my cycles and my hair immediately started falling out. I stopped using it, but the loss continued for several months. It was horrid! Needless to say, I'm never going back on them (not that I need them due to infertility). It's weird because I had been on them for a long time years ago and never had the issue. I wonder if it was just this specific combination (It was Yaz). I'd definitely ask your Dr.

schnappycat,
Maybe my birth control is to blame for my hair loss then! Thanks for inadvertently helping me out :)
I started loosing it more and I didn't know what the culprit was... I started taking regular one-a-day vitamins and that has helped some but I am going to ask my gyno if the b/c could be contributing to the hair loss.

My hair used to shed like crazy while pregnant but it was so soft and shiny that it didn't concern me,,,then when my baby was born the hair started growing back...it looked like a mess,so I just cut it really short so it can grown evenly.

It's not the pre-natal vitamins that make it so lush - I had hyperemesis and couldnt hold down vitamin pills or eat any vegetables for the whole 9 months, but my hair was gorgeous above my hideous white face. All that happens is you stop shedding hair, and all the shedding happens at the same time- for me, when I'd stopped expressing milk. Your hair really does just go back to 'normal' most of the time, but by then you've got used to the thick lush stuff.

I'm just starting to go through this now (son is 3 months), but I also experienced the same thing a couple of years ago after taking a few months of birth control pills. It was insane! I lost huge clumps of hair for about 6 months and my hair was literally about half as thick when it was done. I hope this go around isn't as bad. Although normal, it's still upsetting.
I will say that while head hair might have grown a lot while pregnant, my leg hair did not! It was fab! It grew so slowly that I barely needed to shave (bummer it was the winter). Of course, the minute I gave birth it all grew back as quickly as before. :(

i just FINALLY stopped losing it.... (he just turned 5 mos) and by losing it... it's SCARY how much hair you find after you shampoo, or pull your hair up in a pony tail or twist. if i didnt know to expect it, i would have been PETRIFIED and i SWEAR my dh was following me around w/a dustbuster.... he couldnt believe i wasnt BALD....
and for some reason.... my nails are growing like WEEDS. they didnt while i was pregnant, now they're just gorgeous (and make me nervous cause i dont wanna scratch the our lil guy).
its so funny how crazy the body is!

I'm going through this right now, and I've got to say it's terrible seeing so much of your hair in the shower, in your hairbrush, on the back of your clothes, everywhere! I was glad to find out it is normal, but I will be really glad when it's over!